THIS IS SOME DEEP MILWAUKEE ROCK AND ROLL HISTORY RIGHT HERE PEOPLE! GROWING UP IN THE SUBURBS GOING TO PUNK GIGS FROM AN EARLY AGE WAS A TRUE ESCAPE FROM A LOT OF THE DARKNESS THAT I FELT FOR WHATEVER STUPID REASON I FELT IT. MKEPUNK.COM TAKES ME BACK TO THOSE DAYS WITH AN INCREDIBLE ARCHIVE OF WISCONSIN PUNK, EMO, HARDCORE, SKA — WHATEVER. AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD.

SO MANY “LOST TAPES” FROM A LOT OF BANDS THAT I SAW PLAY IN A BASEMENT OR DIVE BAR WHEN I WAS 13 OR 14 YEARS OLD PLUS STUFF FROM “WAY BACK IN THE DAY” LIKE ALL-TIME MILWAUKEE LEGENDS DIE KREUZEN AND CITIZEN KING. I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE IF YOU AREN’T FROM WISCONSIN YOU DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THIS, BUT FOR ME IT’S A BIG DEAL. WHEN YOU’RE GROWING UP IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC, YOU GOTTA HOLD THAT SHIT TIGHT.

TONIGHT I WILL BE RAGING THE RADIO, PERFORMING LIVE ON 91.7 WMSE IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. I PLAY AT 8PM AND WILL BE JOINED BY WILLY D ON GUITAR AND TONY D (AKA T-DAWG AKA VICIOUS POP) ON DRUMS. PLAYING SOME CUTS OFF OF THE NEW RECORD “I DON’T WANNA GO INTO THE DARKNESS” AND SOME OTHER SHIT. TUNE IN! ROCK AND ROLL WILL NEVER DIE.

COLLEGE RADIO WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY CHILDHOOD GROWING UP OUTSIDE OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN IN THE PRE-INTERNET RADIO LATE 90S. 91.7 WMSE IS REALLY WHERE I CUT MY TEETH AND IN A LOT OF WAYS I CAN KIND OF TRACE IT ALL BACK TO THOSE HEARTLAND NIGHTS, ALONE WITH THE RADIO. PUNK ROCK, RAP, RAVE – ALL THAT SHIT.

THE LATE NIGHT HYPE SHOW ON WMSE WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF A REAL MIDWESTERN INDIE RAP BOOM. WEIRD TO THINK ABOUT AN ERA WHEN ANTICON AND EMINEM WERE IN THE SAME CULTURAL ZONE, BUT IT HAPPENED. IN A WAY THE CURRENT RAP CLIMATE FEELS A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR. CONFUSING BUT FUN.

NOW 10+ YEARS HAVE PASSED AND THE LATE NIGHT HYPE SHOW ARCHIVES ARE ONLINE. RADIO RIPS, VHS FREESTYLES – ALL THAT SHIT. FUNNY TO LISTEN BACK AND HEAR CERTAIN “BACKPACKER” CLICHES BUT FUCK IT, IT WAS A TIME AND A PLACE AND I WAS FUCKING 12. IN THE END, THE MUSIC IS ALL THAT MATTERS AND A LOT OF IT WAS (AND STILL IS) FUCKING BANGING.

I WILL BE THROWING DOWN MY SIGNATURE BLEND OF FUN, INSANITY AND REDEMPTION IN MY HOMETOWN OF MILWAUKEE THIS WEEK!

FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS A DJ SET AT THE WHEREHOUSE NIGHTCLUB ON THURSDAY JULY 28TH – LETS JUST SAY THERE WILL BE SOME DANCE TROOPS IN THE BUILDING! THEN THE MAIN EVENT: SATURDAY JULY 30TH AT STONEFLY IN RIVERWEST PERFORMING LIVE ALONGSIDE SAN DIEGO’S RAFTER AND COLUMBUS, OHIO’S FINEST RHYMESAYER, THE ONE AND ONLY BLUEPRINT.

THE SATURDAY SHOW IS PART OF THE WMSE RADIO SUMMER CAMP SERIES. PSYCHED TO BE A PART OF THIS, I GREW UP LISTENING TO WMSE AND THEY TAUGHT ME A LOT. SEE ALL YOU CHEESEHEADS IN THE PIT!